Booker prize 2007

At 73, the novelist Bahaa Taher has weathered political purges and a lengthy exile from his native Egypt to carry off the Booker prize for Arabic fiction. The recognition is long overdue, says Maya Jaggi

Leader: All sorts of people are qualified to judge books these days. Former cabinet minister Michael Portillo was yesterday named as the next chair of the Man Booker panel, while pop star Lily Allen will help judge the Orange

Anne Enright was the surprise winner of this year's Man Booker prize. In her first post-victory interview, she tells Stuart Jeffries about her breakdown, the Irish meaning of family, and why her novel is not as bleak as everyone says